The Angler Magazine Ohio

16/05/2023

Here’s an article that will help you nail a nice catfish in this early spring season.

Springing into spawn
In Ohio, spring means one thing, warmer weather which leads to better fishing. When we’re early spring fishing for catfish we head to the shallows. The shallow water warms up quicker which brings in the big fish pre-spawn just before May and June to feed on the baitfish. That makes it some of the best catfishing anyone can experience in my opinion. During this time of year, the best bait to use is the natural foraging fish they’re eating. Fresh shad, bluegill and cut bait all work great for the catfish because they’ve been feeding on the “shad kill” as we call it. This happens when winter comes to an end and some of the fish die off once the water warms up. The catfish feed off the bottom. Catfish are pretty lazy and don’t have to work very hard or go far without finding food of some sort. Our tactics are as simple as paying attention to the weather and our surroundings based on the body of water we’re on. Always check the direction of the water flow even if you’re bank fishing since the cats are going after your scent trail. Our set ups are basic medium-heavy action spinning rods with 20-40 lb. braid, 2-3 oz. sinkers and we always use circle hooks between 6-10/o. especially when we’re targeting channel cats. The c-hooks allow a great hook up in the side of the fish’s mouth right where you want it every time. This also prevents gut hooking or harming the fish so they can continue flourishing when released. Spring is a perfect time to bank fish for them with the whole family since they’ll be in shallow water. You can throw on a bobber for the kids for some top water action all through summer or put on a glow stick for a fun, visual night bite! Catfish are creatures of habit and best at eating. Once you find the baitfish the catfish will follow. Don’t be afraid to move spots if you aren’t getting any bites. Try freshening up your bait and then move spots if the fish aren’t producing. Ohio has beautiful, plentiful fish populations thanks to local DNR conservation, stocking and catch and release practices followed by fellow anglers. Catfish are some of the biggest sport fish we have and if you put in a little work, they’ll give you a fight at the end of the line that’s worth it every time.

Written by Allison Benoit

Facebook Benoit Fishing Outdoors

Watch Gabbie and Allison’s fishing adventures on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/

Photo of Gabbie (Gabryella)

13/12/2022

12/12/2022

Congratulations Savannah Kay Johnson! Your photo was selected to be in our newest addition of The Angler Magazine!
Brag Board page 19

Come back next month to see if your photo made it to our Brag Board anglers!

Coastal Angler Magazine and our interior (freshwater) publication, The Angler Magazine, are monthly editions dedicated to fishing, boating, and outdoor enthusiasts.

10/11/2022

ATTENTION ALL ANGLERS

Send us your catch photos so we can put them in our magazine Brag Board!

23/09/2022

Crappie fishing in the fall can be better because you can pattern the crappie better. It’s not like the spring when you have cold fronts every two to three days. During the fall, you’ll find crappie bunched up on the shad in the early mornings and late afternoon. When the sun gets high, they’ll move back into the structure.”dont forget to check out The Angler Magazine Ohio for featured articles on Indian lake ohio available at your local bait and tackle shops around the lake 🎣

25/07/2022

“OSU researcher’s experiments suggest dark lures during algal blooms”


“On June 30, NOAA revealed their 11th annual Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) forecast for Western Lake Erie. Based upon stream monitoring of flows and phosphorous concentrations through June in the Maumee River by Heidelberg University. On a scale of 1-10, anglers and boaters should expect the HAB to reach 3.5 in the Western Basin, similar to 2018 and 2020 which is considered to be relatively mild.
Depending upon wind conditions, the HAB could spread into the Central Basin, and concentrated scums could develop, especially during calm conditions. For a variety of reasons, anglers have been trying to avoid fishing in these algal blooms since they re-appeared in the mid-1990’s. When it can’t be avoided, lure color selection becomes more important to ensure that fish see the offering. During a recent Ohio Sea Grant webinar, Dr. Suzanne Gray, Associate Professor of Aquatic Physiological Ecology at The Ohio State University shared some results of her research that investigated Walleye vision in various water conditions.
Variables that they tested in the lab and during controlled angling experiments on the lake included clear water; turbid water with suspended sediments; green-colored water from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs); and a combination of sediments and algae. Lab experiments showed that in clear water, walleyes see a broad spectrum of colors in the higher light levels that pe*****te through the water column. In the green light that passes through algae, the visible color spectrum narrows. Walleyes exhibited a 40% vision reduction during algal bloom conditions, which required that they get 15% closer to their prey before detecting it.
During controlled angling experiments with charter boat captains using Erie Dearies in White, Gold, Black and Purple while drifting and casting, they documented which performed best in clear, turbid, and algae-stained water conditions. In clear water, all 4 lures performed equally. In turbid water, gold had higher rates of fish striking. During the algal bloom, black was the top choice of the 4 lure colors used during the controlled angling trials with purple reportedly coming in second place.
Future experiments will measure how much walleye rely on their lateral line, hearing, smell, and taste during these same conditions. Additional controlled angling trials hope to test the effectiveness of casting weight-forward spinners vs. trolling with crank baits; the effectiveness of rattles in lures; and test additional lure colors under the various water conditions.
During August, the algae bloom normally stays west of the islands, with the area east of Kelleys Island to Vermilion being a top producer. Trollers will dominate the scene, as they usually do in Lake Erie, all the way to Conneaut using spoons, crank baits, and spinner harnesses.”

Credit:John Hageman

“John Hageman now writes approximately 125 articles per year after retiring from the Ohio Sea Grant/Stone Laboratory - The Ohio State University’s Lake Erie biology station at Put-In-Bay.”

06/05/2022

Bass caught in the Walhonding River. Tell us your go to Bass bait.

24/04/2022

Welcome to The Angler Magazine - Ohio Edition.

Each month 10,000 copies of The Angler magazine is given out for free at multiple locations (mostly along Lake Erie for now).

We also do an electronic version that will be emailed to over 400,000 Ohio fishing license holders.

If you would like to reach that audience with an ad, please contact me: Steve Philpott Co-Editor The Angler Magazine - Ohio Edition.

[email protected]

Good Fishin,

Steve

24/04/2022

24/04/2022

24/04/2022